Blint takes part in history

WAVERLY - Despite being the high school coach's daughter, Mt. Pleasant freshman Abby Blint had never stepped onto the mat for a real wrestling match until high school. Just a couple of months after deciding to join the team as more than just a manager, Blint found herself at the first-ever Iowa girls' state wrestling tournament.

After managing the team in middle school, Blint made the decision to join the team as a wrestler to stay in shape between cross-country and track. She was used for a number of forfeits before facing a decision at the Notre Dame tournament. Highland had a 106 lbs. wrestler and it was a chance for Blint to make her debut.

'I was like, ‘I'll never know what a match is like unless I do it,” Blint says.

After a small handful of matches leading up to the girls' state tournament, Blint made her way up to Waverly Shell-Rock high school to compete in the 106 lbs. bracket. When she showed up, she saw that she'd not only be wrestling early, but that she was placed in the very first match of the tournament.

'I was nervous to see my bracket,” Blint says. 'There were different girls that were seniors and had been doing this in their high school career (and) it was also very nerve-wracking because I was the very first match. Mat one, seeing my name up there.”

Blint fell by pinfall to fellow freshman Karyley Havener of Hinton in the first round. After receiving a bye in the wrestlebacks, she went over three minutes with senior Shae Muecke of Kingsley-Pierson before losing via pinfall to end her day.

'It was nice to be able to wrestle girls that were closer to my weight class,” says Blint, who is one of the smallest competitors in Iowa high school wrestling. 'It was really cool being the first match and being part of the first-ever one.”

Blint is a four-sport athlete, playing on the school's softball team to go along with wrestling and the two running sports. She says she still prefers to run, but really hopes that the girls' state tournament takes off and more girls join the sport. She says her advice to girls thinking about going out for the sport is to just go out there and take a shot.

'I would tell them to give it a try,” Blint says. 'There are probably going to be more just girl tournaments. Iff they are worried about only wrestling guys, there are other girls to wrestle.”

Blint also spoke of the support she has gotten from the rest of the team this year, which she says helps take off the pressure.

'It's nice, everyone encouraging me on the team to try it, and my dad helping me out as much as I can,” Blint says. 'It's a great support system, so it really makes it easier.”